


In Memorium

by heartsdesire456



Series: Fangs & Fur [11]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hope, Inspirational Speeches, M/M, Mostly Gen, Multi, Past Character Death, Past Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-24 05:16:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2569499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the 20th Anniversary of the Argent Terrorist Attack that took the lives of eleven people in the town of Beacon Hills, California, Governor Talia Hale gives a speech at a memorial event for the tragedy that killed her sister, her husband, and two of her children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Memorium

**Author's Note:**

> I RANDOMLY got the urge to write this. I've wanted to write this little scene for a long time but never felt the drive to actually do it.
> 
> I should've been in bed an hour ago, but oh well! Have this instead!

It was so quiet. The thing that surprised Stiles more than anything was how quiet everything was. There were people everywhere in the square, and they all made sounds, but they spoke in hushed tones. More surprisingly was how quiet the pack was. They had been so quiet all day. Molly and Alex both could sense that something was wrong and even they were quiet as soon as they got to the Hale house and found everyone so distracted and _quiet_. As Talia stepped up to the microphone, there was a small buzz and then a smattering of applause and a few cheers, but even that seemed quiet enough that Stiles could hear the shutters of the cameras from the photographers standing on the raised press platform off to the right of the crowd in the square from his position behind Talia with the rest of the Hale pack.

“Twenty years ago, in this very spot, something happened that helped shape the course of history in this country, in this state, in this town, and most importantly, in the Hale Pack,” Talia spoke, squinting some against the bright, midmorning sunlight. She reached out behind her and touched the stone obelisk’s smooth, polished face, smiling faintly as her fingers lingered on one of the names there. “Twenty years ago, the afternoon of a rally for equality for all people, a terrorist planned to kill hundreds of people,” she spoke. “That day is still marked as the deadliest anti-werewolf attack in California history, and as the biggest loss of human life in an anti-werewolf attack in this country.” Stiles rubbed at Derek’s shoulder when he tensed up, staring straight ahead, eyes hid by his sunglasses. Talia continued. “That day, I lost my sister, my mate, and two of my children,” she said, voice wavering so slightly that Stiles once again had to marvel at the strength in Talia Hale. He was fighting back tears just at the memory of that day and at the pain Derek radiated next to him. “The attack that took place here twenty years ago today also took the lives of six innocent bystanders and my brother-in-law’s late wife,” she said, holding a hand out to gesture to Chris, who was standing just behind her right shoulder. 

Chris caught her hand and she squeezed his, even if she didn’t look back at him. “Chris Argent’s bravery in turning against his own family, as well as Victoria Argent’s quick thinking, saved the lives of hundreds of people that day.” She shook her head. “The cost of that attack wasn’t just the lives of our friends and family and neighbors. That attack cost the peace of mind of the people of Beacon Hills, both human and Supernatural. Our community suffered a loss that was irreparable that day, whether you knew someone who was hurt or killed in the attack or not.” She gave a smile. “But from that day, I saw Beacon Hills, California, and the rest of our nation do something incredible; we as a community came together and enacted real change.”

She gestured to Stiles and Derek, startling Stiles some, since he hadn’t expected it. “With the help of my son-in-law’s late mother, I helped start the People’s Rights Coalition, and all around us, we saw groups like ours coming together in the wake of unspeakable tragedy and rallying support for _peace_. The battle we have fought hasn’t been without its losses, such as my partner in founding the PRC, but for every loss we have all suffered in the name of peace and equality, we have had victories that help make the sacrifices we’ve made worthwhile.” She shook her head. “I’m not saying that the atrocities brought against those who had the courage to stand up for the rights and freedoms of others isn’t terrible or that it was worth the victories made, but the leaps and bounds we’ve made in progress in the past twenty years has proven that none of the losses we’ve all suffered have been in vain.” 

Stiles let out a weak, shuddering breath as he gave up the fight against tears when the square erupted in applause at Talia’s words. He turned into Derek’s shoulder and pressed a kiss to his shirt as he let his arm slide down to rest around Derek’s waist. He felt Alex press against his hip and he tightened his hold around Alex’s shoulders as well to reassure him he was okay. As the applause abated some, Talia continued, voice emboldened with passion. “In my lifetime, I lost my parents, my mate, my sister, and two children all to hatred and bigotry. My Second lost his first wife and his daughter lost her mother. My son-in-law lost his mother. I have lived through being classified as an animal, not a person. I’ve lived through being spit on and screamed at. I have faced segregation and even after, I watched my children still be segregated away from other children. I have faced every sort of bigotry, every discrimination, as a werewolf, as a woman, and even as an Alpha who allows humans into her pack. But you know what?” she asked, raising a hand. 

“I was there in nineteen eighty-one when the Supernatural Rights Act was signed into law. I was there when the Anti-Hunting bill was passed. I was there when segregation in public spaces was ended. I was there when the Interspecies Marriage Act was signed. I was there when the segregation of schools was ended. And I am soon to be the first non-human Governor in the history if the United States of America!” she finished strongly, earning wild applause and cheers. “We have PROVEN that equality can exist! We’ve PROVEN that we will NOT be beaten down! And we CAN continue to move forward until every single person, human, werewolf, or any other Supernatural has the SAME rights and opportunities, because WE. ARE. STILL. HERE!” she cried, and even Stiles couldn’t help but join in the applause as the audience was filled with screams of approval. 

He knew he had to look ridiculous, clapping and beaming while tears streamed down his face, but Stiles really couldn’t care less. He could see people in the front rows waving and screaming for Talia, he could see little kids cheering even though they had no clue how much this moment would stick with them throughout their lives, he could see his Dad standing right at the front, clapping with a solemn smile while Melissa cheered excitedly beside him. Stiles saw Peter crying into Chris’s shoulder on the other side of Talia from where he and Derek stood. Laura and Cora were both cheering for their mother behind him and Derek. Scott and Isaac and Erica were all jumping and clapping. Allison pulled away from where she, her husband, and her kids were on the other side of Chris and Peter to walk over and join in hugging Peter and Chris both. All around him, Stiles was really struck with the thought that _this was his family_. All the people around him, all of them were his family and _Talia Hale_ was his Alpha.

Twenty years ago Stiles was ten years old. Apart from his Dad, Melissa, and Scott, he didn’t know any of these people. He’d never met any of these people. He knew of the Hale Pack and their alpha, but never in a million years could he have ever known the day he found his mother crying in front of the TV over the atrocity that had happened in their town that twenty years later, his entire life would be shaped by the choices and triumphs that came from the tragedy. 

And as he stood now, arm around his husband, their cubs hanging onto their legs, his _pack_ surrounding them, Stiles couldn’t help but think that Talia was right.

They were all still here. After all they had faced. After everything both the werewolves and humans alike had all faced. After everything their town had faced. After all the struggles they had fought and clawed for. As Stiles hugged Alex to his leg, Molly pressing her face against Derek’s thigh with Derek’s hand in her hair, and pulled Derek closer, pressing his lips to Derek’s jaw, he knew that it was only the refusal to give up or give in made by his Alpha, his mother, and his whole big, crazy family that made the life he had possible. Because Talia had it right. 

No matter what, they were still here.


End file.
